Bird Box

Something terrifying that must not be seen. One glimpse and a person is driven to deadly violence. No one knows what it is or where it came from. Five years after it began, a handful of scattered survivors remain, including Malorie and her two young children. Living in an abandoned house near the river, she has dreamed of fleeing to a place where they might be safe. Now, that the boy and girl are four, it is time to go. But the journey ahead will be terrifying: twenty miles downriver in a rowboat, blindfolded, with nothing to rely on but her wits and the children's trained ears. One wrong choice and they will die. And something is following them. But is it man, animal, or monster? Engulfed in darkness, surrounded by sounds both familiar and frightening, Malorie embarks on a harrowing odyssey, a trip that takes her into an unseen world and back into the past, to the companions who once saved her. Under the guidance of the stalwart Tom, a motely group of strangers banded together against the unseen terror, creating order from the chaos. But when supplies ran low, they were forced to venture outside, and confront the ultimate question: in a world gone mad, who can really be trusted?--Amazon.

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Ever since I tore through this fast-paced post-apocalyptic story, a little corner of my mind has been pondering the horror of living in a world where you can't open your eyes outside. We never really know what the "monster" is, but the true terror comes from the many unknowns in the story. Blindfolded outside, the characters imagine being (or perhaps really are) surrounded by creatures who, if seen, make you go violently insane. The children in the story have never seen the outdoors, and horrible necessity has forced their mother to do nothing but train them from infancy to be obedient, keep their eyes closed, and rely on their hearing over their vision. An excellent psychological suspense that would have felt right at home as one of the classic Twilight Zone stories.

I love science fiction. I love mysteries. This book does both. It tells of a end of the world story where humans have lost their minds simply by looking up, or looking at TV, or being outside with your eyes open. Why? Because something strange is happening!

The book picks up with a young mother who must protect her two children from the harsh world of going crazy, so she blind folds the children and raises them without sight. This does however increases their other senses such as hearing. The mother devises an escape plan that will involve the children's increased sense of hearing as they will lead them all to the last safe place on earth.

The book has lots of plot twists, unusual characters, and a lingering mystery; "what the heck is going on?" What is happening on earth? Is it UFOs, Biological Warfare, or Environmental Pollutants making people go nuts?

Well told from what we can gather and lots fun trying to figure out the mystery, this one is great read! I would highly recommend "Bird Box" to all readers.

It was a great read and was cool how the author bounced back between past and present. He also does an amazing job of creating fear about something the reader has no idea about - kept me quite alert. EF

I usually don't review on books, but in this case, it is well deserved. Josh Malerman has a way of writing that creeps under your skin and sticks with you even when you don't have the book in front of you. The story of Malorie, her two young but talented children, and their journey from desperate for survival to the possibility of sanctuary is a tale I won't soon forget. This book had me anxious to close my eyes for fear of seeing the mysterious creatures when I opened them back. It is nearly impossible to put down. It gave me a very real sense of fear and made me think, 'I am not sure what I would do in this situation.'

Not normally a genre I'd read but I'm glad I did... reminded me of an M. Night Shyamalan movie where a lot of the fear comes from what your mind visualizes. Not thrilled with the ending, but it seems to be open for more of the story, so here's hoping for a sequel.

For my full review (and other reviews too!) check out my blog, Clues and Reviews
https://cluesandreviews.wordpress.com/

Reports on the news speak of people going insane; they are becoming viciously violent, killing themselves and others. First people assume it’s a hoax, but as they become more frequent and impossible to ignore. Something is out there. Something is making this happen. Five years later, Malorie is alive with two young children. They cannot open their eyes; the children have never seen anything outside of their small, abandoned house. Malorie needs to travel to safety, it’s their only hope, but to do so, they must travel.
They mustn’t open their eyes.
They must listen carefully.
They don’t know what’s out there…

Bird Box by Josh Malerman is one of the most intense and terrifying reads I have read this year. This one is going to be extremely hard to review; I have so many things to say and so many things I want to discuss but I want to give nothing away! One thing that I can say is that this book is completely laced with tension.

Malerman’s writing is brilliant. The concept of this book was completely original.

Now I must say, I was a little disappointed in the ending, and from what I can tell; this was a fairly common feeling from others who read this book. Personally, for me, it wasn’t because it was a bad ending, it just wasn’t what I was expecting.

Regardless of my feelings about the ending, I cannot deny that this novel was amazing and I think everyone needs to read it.

My Summary: Something is out there… What it is, no one knows. All anyone knows is whenever it is seen the person goes mad and ends their life. Malorie has been living in an abandoned house with a group of strangers for the past five years, since the horror began. At last she finds she has no choice but to leave her safe haven. With two 5-year old children in tow, Malorie makes her way down the river, blindfolded to avoid seeing whatever it is that lurks outside.

My Thoughts: Bird Box, told from alternating perspectives of the past and present through Malorie’s eyes, was instantly engrossing. The mystery of what lies outside was intriguing and extremely unique. I found myself feeling the pain, fear, and suspense that engulfed these well-crafted characters. This was a difficult book to put down; I devoured it in one sitting. I would certainly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction lore.

Solid, moderately terrifying read. Reminds me thematically of several horror movies that came out in the early 2000s. One of the few horror novels that made me get up out of my chair to make sure the chills in my spine were only because of the book and the book's contents weren't becoming reality. Worth the read.